The Newt and Demon

4.7 - For Science

A wash of magical energy rolled over the wizards tower. The sting on Theos skin was disconcerting, and a visible plume of purple magic rose from the [Swamp Dungeon] in the distance. Arrays filled the air before them, the magical makeup of the dungeon system laid bare. But it wasnt a simple task to understand those sigils. While the alchemist could read them with decent proficiency, that didnt mean he could understand what they meant. Even Xolsa had trouble with that.

The color of Toruauns core, currently resting in Theos palm, seemed to shift. It was an iridescent glow that never settled on a single hue for long, cycling as though driven by some unseen force. The alchemist had delayed inserting the new core into his chest, if only to gain some room to think. His thoughts came slowly, crawling along through the mire of complication. The twists and turns he found in his new life were not unlike that swamp below. Bubbling with unseen danger, fetid at times, and otherwise mysterious.

Delaying wont do you any good, Xolsa said, prodding at a few more symbols. A satisfied nod later and he turned to the alchemist, placing a hand on his shoulder. Best to stitch the wound quickly.

Theo shrugged, holding the core out for a few more moments before placing it against his chest. The fabric where the robe had been torn was still mending, as well as his layer underneath. Cold metal pressed against his bare flesh for only a moment before shifting light poured out, grasping to accept the new core. Pain flashed for only a moment, then there was nothing. Just the warm comfort of another slot in his chest filled. The alchemist inspected his new core, reading it aloud for Xolsa to hear.

[Toruaun Mages Core]

Unique

Mage Core

Bound

2 Slots

Level 1 (0%)

A mage core given by the Queen of Mystery Toruaun. Little is known about the Demon Goddess.

Innate Skills:

[Sensitive Weaving]

The Elf let out a groan. Could it be more vague? Wait, what was the rarity?

Unique, Theo said, scratching his head.

What? No, that doesnt track, Xolsa said, producing notes from nowhere and inspecting them. He mumbled to himself for a while before jabbing his finger into the page. Here. I have a record of a Dronon who died and was Examined. They had a Toruaun corea mage style core.

Theo thought for a moment, flitting through his near-perfect memory to search for answers. But the ability to recall whatever he wanted didnt mean he could force logical connections between those things. The pair traded ideas for a while before it came to him. Something hed heard a while ago.

Its the wrong core, Theo said, reading the name of the core again. I was supposed to get a [Toruaun Demon Mages Core].

Xolsa sputtered. What? How in the realms does that work?

Whats the difference? Demon mage versus mage?

Its just what the mages of the Demonic races are called, Xolsa said. Toruaun forged you a new core. Why?

I guess they dont call her the Queen of Mystery for nothing, do they? Theo asked.

Xolsa sighed. Fine. The skill attached to the core is extremely standard. It reduces interruption rates for spellcasting.

Theo examined the skill.

[Sensitive Weaving]

Mage Skill

Rare

While casting spells, your rate of interruption is decreased.

Effects:

Reduces the chances that your spells will fizzle when your concentration is broken.

Fair enough, Theo said. Alright. You got a kettle? Some tea? You need to help me look through these skills so I can pick the best one.

Of course.

Theo and Xolsa settled into the study. The Elf lit a [Flame Artifice] and put on a kettle, mixing his own tea in a mortar and pestle. Unlike the moss tea the alchemist was used to, this version was made of many different leaves. It had a pleasant bouquet that filled the room once placed in the hot water. Then the pair got to work, going through a list of near-endless skills. They quickly narrowed it down to a few picks, and learned a great deal about what kind of magic Toruaun represented.

Its painful to be right so often, Xolsa said, unable to hide his smile. The striations of glowing blue on his skin flashed for a moment. [Surface Application] is the winner here.

Alright, Theo said, scrolling through the list. He found the skill in question, then examined it.

[Surface Application]

Toruaun Demon Mage Skill

Legendary

Subverts the nature of your wards, allowing you to place them on any surface.

Effect:

When casting your warding spells, you may apply them to any surface.

The length of time your wards remain on mundane items is halved, based on intelligence.

Wards applied to magical items last for a day, plus a day for every 10 intelligence you have.

Tell me why this is useful, Theo said.

Xolsa grinned. I was right about the way the Queen of Mystery works. Yes, you can stop applauding. No, youre too generous.

Theo simply stared.

Xolsa cleared his throat. Wards are a standard form of magic. I use them very often. The most common ward is a shield.

The Elf gestured, mana flowing from his core to form a semi-transparent barrier in the air. It was in the shape of a circle, and pulsed with pale blue energy.

Magic wards and physical wards. The most basic form possible, Xolsa said. Take my wards out in the swamp for an extreme example. Ive applied them to enchanted standards, a medium for them to latch onto. They detect, redirect, and manipulate the power of a god.

Right. Two extreme examples, Theo said with a nod. That was a good way to give an example of how something worked. Show the most and the least of something. He liked it. Give me an example on how you think Toruauns spellcasting is going to work.

Why not cast it now? Xolsa asked with a smile. Produce that book she gave you, and well give it a go.

Theo gave the Elf another look. He was hesitant to work with mana in the real world, even if he was getting better by the day. But this was the point in his advancement hed been preparing for. There had been enough practice. He removed the book from his inventory and set it on the table. Xolsa poured two cups of tea. The alchemist took a sip.

Damn good tea, Theo said.

Its my own blend. Now, were going to ward this stone, Xolsa said, setting a mundane stone on the table. Remember the parts of spellcasting. Intent, focus, and mechanism.

Explain those before I blow your tower up on accident, Theo said.

Intent. What do you want the spell to do? Focus. Keep your mind on the task. That part allows your mana to flow into the spell. Mechanism. Thats the spellcasting method. Well use chanting for this one. Its the easiest.

Disadvantages of chanting?

Xolsa shrugged. You need to chant. It leaves you open to attacks, and everyone can hear your spell. Easy to counter-spell, isnt it?

Theo thought about the task before moving forward. Hed always thought of Toruauns spell as an array, rather than a chanted thing. But his mind twisted around the problem and found a solution quickly. The way the rings attached to each other was the key to understanding the story hidden within. So, instead of reading each page individually, hed need to jump between pages and string the words together in a chant. Without his increased memory, this would be an impossible task. As it stood, he could do it without referencing the book.

Ready? Good. Hold your hand out, and start the chant. Keep all those things in mind, Xolsa said.

Before starting the process, Theo sensed that this was his favorite way to interact with systems. Sometimes he needed to put tremendous effort into what he was doing. Summoning mana from his core was one of the biggest points of pain for him, but he could feel this was an automated thing. He began chanting the story. It was about a group of Dronon that had encircled to defend themselves against an attacking army. They fought and died for thirty days before they were overcome, resulting in the destruction of their people. It was a sad tale, and the alchemist doubted it was real. But that wasnt the point.

Mana flowed in a constant rate from his new core, iridescent motes that latched onto the rock. On his third go through the chant, something snapped. The rock glowed, shifting colors rapidly, then stopped.

Done, Xolsa said, pressing his hand onto the stone. He laughed. Perfect. Inspect the stone.

Theo obeyed, pressing his fingers against the rock.

[Rock]

[Mundane Item]

Common

An uninteresting rock.

Wards:

[Lesser Defense]

Naturally, the alchemist inspected what [Lesser Defense] was next.

[Lesser Defense]

[Advanced Ward]

Creates a reactive barrier. Barrier only responds when attacked.

Trigger:

Attack

Duration:

1 day.

Alright, thats kind of awesome.

Kind of awesome? Xolsa asked. You really arent naturally attuned to magic. This is amazing. Let me tell you the rule of wards. You cannot apply them to mundane items. Ever. Applying them to magical items is difficult. Meaning

Were out here breaking the rules. Again, Theo said, chuckling.

More than that, Xolsa said. Based on this, and what Ive already studied, you can use these on potions. Because what does [Surface Application] say? You can apply it to any surface.

That would make for amazing synergy. But what would [Lesser Defense] do with a potion? No, that wouldnt work for a potion. Hed need to discover more wards to chant. For the sake of thoroughness he inspected his mana, finding that it had taken about 20% to cast the spell. For such a small object, and such a small spell, that seemed like a lot. But the alchemist was new to this spellcasting thing and tucked that away into his mind for another day.

Watch this, Theo said, pulling a stick from his [Tarahek Inventory] and smacking it against the stone.

Xolsa shrieked. A barrier sprung up around the rock to protect it, catching the entire force of the blow. The stick shattered in half, the errant end spinning across the room missing the Elf narrowly.

Careful! Xolsa shouted, looking back with dismay. The stick was lodged between two books. He sighed, returning his attention to the rock. The ward is still active. Look, its returning to the inert state.

The barrier around the rock faded, but the ward remained. The pair theorized how many charges it had, and Xolsa determined it was linked to the amount of mana used in the spell. He also suggested the quality of the spellcasting had a major influence on the resulting ward, and that Theo should practice with everything.

What happens if I throw the rock at someone? Theo asked. Would the ward activate? Throw the rock at me, Xolsa.

Im not throwing the rock at you, Xolsa said.

Come on. For science.

Xolsa groaned, grabbing the rock and tossing it as hard as he could manage at Theo. It wasnt that hard, but hard enough to activate it. But nothing happened.

See, intent matters more than anything, Xolsa said. There was no intent to attack the rock, so the ward didnt activate.

But that led Theo to think of the many ways wards could be used. The implication was that he could alter the intent trigger, setting up different scenarios for usage. It also led to the next biggest problem with the spell.

Not really super useful, Theo said. Just putting a little barrier on stuff.

Its Kinda useful. Not extremely so, but you know. Low-level magic is that way, Xolsa said. Leave the book with me, and Ill see what I can do. Its locked in that memory of yours, right?

It is, Theo said. Xolsa I appreciate the help, man. I really do.

Im an Elf, not a man, Xolsa said. To have another spellcaster in town is a boon. We seem to be a rare breed.

Agreed, Theo said.

Instead of heading out straight away, Theo lingered to enjoy his tea and talk to the Elf. His work on the dungeons had taken most of his time, so he wasnt able to explore the implications of Terogal. Since things were going well, it didnt seem like an emergency. But then the topic shifted to the Elfs relationship with Zarali and how it was evolving. It was getting more serious and they were considering marriage and a situation more dire than anything the Demonic Gods could bring their way.

Im not even sure if we can have a child, Xolsa said.

Youll never know unless you try, Theo said, resting a hand on Xolsas shoulder. He regret his words immediately. I didnt mean to say that so creepily. I mean, who knows what races can mix.

Everything, technically. But Im not from the mortal plane, Xolsa said. I appreciate the support, but I was just curious if youd be interested in heading our marriage.

Not really sure what that means, Theo said. I dont think you do marriage the same way here as we did back on Earth.

I dont know my peoples tradition. Zaralis people dont have a tradition. So wed do it in the Broken Tusk tradition, Xolsa said.

Which is?

A fistfight, Xolsa said, nodding.

Oh.

Im kidding. A ceremony and a party. Nothing insane.

Well, thats easy enough. Id be happy to marry you.

Would you? Xolsa asked. Youve been strange about the relationship.

It was tactful to pause for a moment to allow his thoughts to gather. Theo had found his thoughts easier to contend with lately. His ability to silence both his attributes and his cores was growing, that was already an effect hed observed. But it also affected his emotions, helping him dismiss the ones that bled through his [Tarahek Core] and banish those coming from his Drogramathi cores. The answer came to him suddenly.

Khahar said something about this, Theo said. Going into his own realm would help his broken brain. Wait, does that mean my brain is broken?

Xolsa shrugged. Broken is relative. But, that might be the case. Again, we need to study your private realm.

Theo felt something twinge in his mind. He checked the stack of status bars in his vision and found that Tresk had suddenly lost stamina, and a bit of health. Coming in to mingle with a sense of danger were reports from his lodestone network. Not from his combat golems stationed in the mine, but those wandering around town.

You alright?

Chirp!

Some monsters charged at the eastern wall, Tresk said. Just a small group. No biggie.

Monster attack in town. I better go, Theo said.

Dont forget about me. Send me a message when youre planning on delving into Terogal, Xolsa said.

Alright. Again, thanks.

Theo paid close attention to the sensation he felt as he passed through Xolsas portal. He focused on the idea of planes, and skimming over the bridge as he went. To the alchemist, it felt more like threading a path around the other realms, as though he was a drifting ship in space that got caught in the gravity of planets. That singular moment he spent between realms felt longer this time, giving him a glimpse of that darkened void between places.

Heading over to the eastern wall, Theo found several adventurers looting monsters that had scaled the wall. Tresk was there, directing the work and organizing a scouting party. Theyd head out to investigate what caused the attack, then report it back to the administration. Investigations like this normally fell to Xolsa, so the alchemist would see him again before the day was done.

Report, soldier, Theo said, grinning at his companion.

Buncha frog-people, sir! Tresk said, performing a salute she could have only learned from his memories. Gave them a good stabbing.

Wanna see something cool? Theo asked.

Uh, only always.

Theo summoned the golem that had helped with the fight. One of his few remaining [Lesser Mud Golems], normally tasked with scouring the marsh for motes. The alchemist knelt near his creation, held his hand out and began chanting the only spell he knew. Tresk was nearby to shout words of encouragement, hooting with excitement every time a mote traveled from his hand to the golem. He managed worse this time, chanting the spell four times before it stuck. The golem shivered.

Alright. Try smacking it. When you do

Tresk didnt wait for further invitation. She coiled her fist on the spot and drove it hard into the golems chest. The barrier sprung up in an instant to intercept the attack, forming that pale, shifting barrier. Doubling over and cradling her hand, the Marshling let out a series of curses Theo had never heard before. They were as foul as they were creative.

I meant with a weapon.

You couldve told me! Tresk shouted.

I was in the middle of telling you when you attacked.

Alex chirped, then honked, then produced a plume of smoke from her bill.

Drink this, Theo said, withdrawing a healing potion from his inventory and handing it over to his companion. He kept his eyes on Alex. Did he see smoke? From her mouth?

Yeah, she spat fire earlier, Tresk said, downing the potion. Her hand twisted back into place in an instant, and she let out a sigh of relief. We got a fire goose!

Theo! a voice sounded from below. Azrug was there, waving his hands wildly. Do you have that order? For the Dwarf?

For Gronro? Theo asked, shouting his words back.

Yeah, Ive got a carriage ready to go. Were leaving within the hour.

That wasnt nearly enough time to get his potions ready. He was low on [Swamp Onions], but Tresk kept a secret supply hidden in the lab. But what was the point of having a personal realm where time moved slower if he didnt use it?

[Theo]: Xolsa, report to my lab. Its time to do the thing. You know which one.

Does that mean you got them? Azrug asked, squinting against the sun.